Bracken, Beth. At The Edge of the Woods.

Bracken, Beth.  At The Edge of the Woods.  Capstone/Stone Arch  2014  96p  ISBN 978-1-4342-4489-5  ms/jr  VG  Fantasy  

In the fifth volume of the Faireground series, Soli and Lucy have returned from Faerieland, but only for as long as it takes to tell their families of their adventures and discoveries before returning to continue the battle for the kingdom.  Lucy becomes seriously ill and Soli must deal with an emissary from the Crows, who intend to wage war against her.

Who can Soli trust?  What powers and allies does she have on her side?  Is there a cure for Lucy?  What is the queen’s true nature?  These questions remain unanswered, and readers will clamor for the next installment in the series. 

While the story stands on its own, it is also very obviously a volume that provides a bridge between two other books.  Odessa Sawyer’s moody, atmospheric illustrations deserve special note, as these raise an average fantasy tale to a higher level, simply through the artwork’s evocative pictures.

Summary: In this fifth volume of the Faireground series, Lucy and Soli return to Faerieland to continue the battle for the kingdom.

Fairies-Fiction                                             --Hillary Welliver

Bracken, Beth, and Kay Frazer. Wish.

Bracken, Beth, and Kay Frazer.  Wish.  Capstone Young Readers     2013  266p  ISBN 978-1-62370-003-4  ms/jr  VG  Fantasy     

Lucy and Soli have always been best friends.  Lucy is outgoing and friendly.  Her sense of adventure and fun make her a popular favorite with their peers.  Soli is happy to let her friend shine in the limelight while she observes from the shadows.  Now that the two are entering high school, Lucy is starting to date boys, while Soli cautiously maneuvers through the new environment.  When Soli confesses her interest in the one boy who notices her, Lucy promises to sound him out regarding his feelings for Soli.  Instead, Lucy winds up kissing the boy -- and Soli sees her do it.  Jealous, betrayed, confused and angry, Soli makes a careless wish -- and Lucy becomes the prisoner of the Faeries.  Remorseful Soli must confront the Faeries, unsuspected secrets about her past, and a daunting quest to rescue Lucy.  Her experiences test Soli’s relationships, character, and true desires.

Odessa Sawyer’s moody, atmospheric illustrations deserve special note, as these raise an average story of revenge and redemption to a higher level, simply through the artwork’s evocative impact. 

Summary: When her best friend disappears as the result of Soli’s careless wish, Soli comes to grips with her own unsuspected but surprising past in order to rescue her.    

Fairies-Fiction                                     --Hillary Welliver     

Valente, Catherynne M. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Rebels There.

Valente, Catherynne M.  The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Rebels There.    Macmillan/ Feiwel & Friends   258p      $16.99     

978-0-312-64962-3       2012       ms/hs   E-BN            Fantasy    

In this novel, the sequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, September returns to Fairyland more than a year later, to find that all is not well.  Her shadow, calling herself Halloween, is stealing shadows and magic from Fairyland-Above and taking them to Fairyland-Below.  September wants to set things right and restore the balance to all of Fairyland.  She discovers that shadows can be tricky and act quite differently from their corporal counterparts.  Without her happy companions in a physically dark and psychologically darker world, this sequel has a much darker and unhappier feel.  Even the pace seems slower and the text overly wordy.  The luscious descriptions and quirky places and characters that fill Fairyland with wonder are still present, however.  The author is adept at slipping minute detail into the plot, which later proves to be important to its successful resolution.

As September is maturing, this sequel has lost some of the enchantment and happy wonder that filled the first book.  It is a slower and more difficult read, better suited for older or more accomplished readers.  The line-drawing illustrations which introduce each chapter are charming.  They help the reader visualize some of the bizarre characters.

Fairies–Fiction, Adventure–Fiction                         --Joan Theal

Sullivan, Laura L. Under the Green Hill

Sullivan, Laura L. Under the Green Hill
Henry Holt/macmillan children's pub group 2010 308p 16.99 978-0-8050-8984-4 ms/hs Fairies E-BN


Six children are sent to the English countryside to avoid a rampant fever in the States. This is a special place where the fairy kingdoms keep the world alive. It is also the year of the Fairy War and the children become involved.
Meg and Rowan with two more siblings and two friends are sent to spend the summer with distant relatives in the English countryside when a fever is rampant in the United States. This particular location is the center of two Fairy Kingdoms. Every seventh year at Midsummer╒s Eve there is a fairy war and human blood must be shed to maintain the vitality of all living things. The children arrive on May Day and are warned not to leave the grounds. They disobey, watch the fairy procession and Rowan is chosen to be the champion of one kingdom. Hiding this information from the relatives, Rowan trains to fight on Midsummer╒s Eve. Meg desperately want to prevent Rowan from fighting, especially when she finds out who the other champion will be. This occupies the children most of the time through May and into June. The two other children do research on fairies. One in the library, and the other throughout the woods. After all the buildup for the war, the actual fighting is over in one paragraph. The ending of the book involves fairy magic and provides a neatly wrapped up happy ending.
Very well written with wonderful description and character development. Middle school students will love it. Fantasy Theal, Joan